Enclosures of electronic devices typically include multiple parts that may need to be coupled by fasteners, such as screws. If the fasteners are readily visible and accessible, the electronic devices may be more likely to be disassembled and/or tampered with by users. On the other hand, if the fasteners are not easily accessible, additional time and/or cost may be required for removing the fasteners when legitimate services are to be performed on the electronic devices, e.g., by technicians of the manufacturers of the electronic devices.
For example, FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic representation of an example prior art electronic device 100. An enclosure of electronic device 100 may include a top case 101 and a bottom case 102. Top case 101 and bottom case 102 may be mechanically coupled by screws 103 and 104.
As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1A, screws 103 and 104 may be readily visible and accessible to a user of electronic device 100. As a result, the user may be more tempted to disassemble electronic device 100 due to curiosity or in an attempt to perform unauthorized repairs, and the components contained inside top case 101 and bottom case 102 may be tampered with by the user. Consequently, electronic device 100 may be damaged.
Exterior components of electronic device 100 may not be designed to effectively conceal screws (e.g., screws 103 and 104) such that the screws are not visible to the user while being easily accessible by service technicians. As an example of the exterior components, a space bar 110 of electronic device is discussed, with reference to the example of FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic representation of a cross-sectional view A-A of space bar 110 indicated in the example of FIG. 1A. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1B, space bar 110 may include a keycap 190. Space bar 110 may also include one or more scissor-arm mechanisms, such as scissor-arm mechanism 115, and one or more levelers, such as levelers 116 and 126, configured to mechanically couple keycap 100 to a keyboard mechanism plate 111 through one or more pin-and-slot mechanisms, such as pin-and-slot mechanism 121 and 122. Scissor-arm mechanism 115 and levelers 116 and 126 may also be configured to keep keycap 190 substantially parallel to keyboard mechanism plate 111 when keycap 190 is pressed by a user.
When keycap 190 is pressed by the user, keycap 190 may compress tactile dome 114 such that a loading portion 113 of tactile dome 114 may urge a membrane 117 to contact a membrane 118. When membrane 117 is in contact with membrane 118, an electrical signal may be generated.
Space bar 110 may also include stiffener 161 disposed under key cap 190. Stiffener 161 may be configured to provide structural stiffness for key cap 190.
As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1B, keycap 190 may not be easily removed from mechanism plate 115 (or electronic device 100). In particular, keycap 190 may not be easily removed without one or more of keycap 190, scissor-arm mechanism 115, levelers 116 and 126, pin-and-slot mechanism 121 and 122, and other components inside space bar 110 being damaged. Even if undamaged, the complexity of the design is such that the components associated with the keycap are often difficult to disassemble and reassembled without requiring specialized tools and/or specialized knowledge.
Concealing screws under space bar 110 may prevent users from disassembling and tampering with electronic device 100. However, a significant amount of cost for replacing damaged parts may be incurred and/or a substantial disassembling time may be required when electronic device 100 is to be serviced by a technician. Accordingly, as illustrated by space bar 110 of electronic device 100 in the example of FIGS. 1A-B, concealing screws under exterior components may be impractical for prior art electronic devices.